Bookmarks for 2025-12-29T01:18:39.765Z

• Breaking ranks, Taiwan backs Israeli recognition of Somaliland | The Times of Israel Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Breaking ranks, Taiwan backs Israeli recognition of Somaliland

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• 4 hidden sensors in your Android phone you're probably not using Added: Dec 28, 2025

  4 hidden sensors in your Android phone you're probably not using

  Site: MUO

  Your Android phone hides powerful sensors that already handle navigation, security, and automation, but rarely get used beyond basics

  

• Geoffrey Hinton: AI will even better in 2026 and gain the ability to 'replace many other jobs' | Fortune Added: Dec 28, 2025

  'Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton predicts 2026 will see the technology get even better and gain the ability to 'replace many other jobs' | Fortune

  Site: Fortune

  "It's already extremely good. We're going to see it having the capabilities to replace many, many jobs."

  

• ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton warns AI has ‘progressed even faster than I thought’ | CNN Politics Added: Dec 28, 2025

  ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton warns AI has ‘progressed even faster than I thought’ | CNN Politics

  Site: CNN

  Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton – known as the “Godfather of AI” – joins Jake Tapper to discuss why he’s “more worried” than ever about the rise of AI, comparing its impact on society to the Industrial Revolution.

  

• 110-pound cast-iron Victorian radiator modded into a gaming PC — massive radiator used for cooling the bottom-mounted PC components | Tom's Hardware Added: Dec 28, 2025

  110-pound cast-iron Victorian radiator modded into a gaming PC — massive radiator used for cooling the bottom-mounted PC components

  Site: Tom's Hardware

  PC components are neatly fixed beneath the belly of this cast iron hulk.

  

• In What Could Be A First, A Gravitational Wave Event Appears To Have Been Gravitationally Lensed | IFLScience Added: Dec 28, 2025

  This Might Be The First Time We've Ever Seen A Gravitational Wave Event Gravitationally Lensed

  Site: IFLScience

  The already record-breaking event may have been magnified.

  In just a decade, gravitational wave observatories have changed astronomy. In this short time, we have accumulated hundreds of detections, with many more coming. A wide variety of events have been discovered even among the sub-populations of these cosmic collisions. One record-breaking event has recently been reported, and a new yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper argues that it might have experienced something unlike any other gravitational wave event. It was magnified. Let’s start with the detection. GW231123 was reported earlier this year as an event that defies our expectations. Based on the data, it was produced by the collision of a black hole, 103 times the mass of the Sun, with another black hole of 137 solar masses, to create a giant of 225 solar masses. The problem is that stars do not produce black holes this big, or at least not anymore. It could be possible that these are the product of a series of black hole collisions, which raises a question about the environment of these events. The new work argues that our view might have been enhanced somewhat. Gravity warps space-time. It does so in such a way that a massive body can act like a lens. If this body is in front of some background object, the light of this background object is magnified and warped by the space-time. This is a gravitational lens. The new paper puts forward the idea that this gravitational wave event was gravitationally lensed by something between it and us. Just like the light of distant galaxies can be magnified by intervening galaxy clusters, so can gravitational waves. The team found that if the signal is gravitationally lensed, then the final black hole is between 100 and 180 times the mass of the Sun. Still big, but a bit more manageable. This scenario is favored statistically, with a false alarm probability of less than one percent. This is good, but the gold standard of physics demands a much smaller probability. Still, the first gravitationally lensed gravitational wave event is fascinating. The team estimates that if it truly was a lens, it was a small but dense object, possibly an intermediate mass black hole with a mass of up to 850 solar masses. Collisions of multiple black holes might be what produce these intermediate mass black holes, too. The 10 th anniversary of the gravitational wave discovery felt like a shift in the field. Instruments have been upgraded significantly, and the detections they make are so numerous that researchers continue to pile up new insights and more extreme events. The goal is to massively increase our understanding of black holes – and it’s happening. The study is available on arXiv.

  

• This 20TB lifetime cloud is the answer to your “storage is full” woes Added: Dec 28, 2025

• Dr. Einat Wilf on X: "Zionism is a progressive cause that had the misfortune of success. As such, it is maligned for its very success in self-transforming victims into sovereigns, now cast as "privilege". But isn't the very goal of "progress" in progressive to move away from victim to self-possessed?" / X Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• NASA moonshot may let astronauts see parts of the lunar far side that were missed by Apollo | Fortune Added: Dec 28, 2025

  NASA’s upcoming moonshot may let astronauts be the first to lay eyes on parts of the lunar far side that were missed by the Apollo program | Fortune

  Site: Fortune

  Launching early in the year, the three Americans and one Canadian will zip past the moon, do a U-turn behind it, then hustle straight back to Earth.

  

• After more cordial meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy suggest peace deal could be close - POLITICO Added: Dec 28, 2025

  After more cordial meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy suggest peace deal could be close

  Site: POLITICO

  But both leaders acknowledged sticking points remain. And Russia has yet to weigh in.

  

• Zelenskyy-Putin phone call possible after Trump Mar-a-Lago meeting | Fox News Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Zelenskyy-Putin phone call possible after Trump Mar-a-Lago meeting | Fox News

  

• Elon Musk on X: "What they actually want is to imprison and bankrupt those they disagree with" / X Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Sanders warns AI running the world not science-fiction, calls for slow down | Fox News Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Sanders warns AI running the world not science-fiction, calls for slow down | Fox News

  Senator Bernie Sanders told CNN that "science-fiction" fears about artificial intelligence are not outrageous on Sunday, and called for a moratorium on data centers.

• President Trump Is His Own Worst Late-Night Enemy Added: Dec 28, 2025

  President Trump Is His Own Worst Late-Night Enemy

  Site: Hollywood in Toto

  Jimmy Kimmel can't hurt Trump with his endless verbal attacks. What could damage the two-term president? Trump's own social media feed.

  President Donald Trump can sound like the fascist Jimmy Kimmel describes him as on social media.

  Consider this Trumpian broadside against "The Late Show's" soon-to-be-ex-host Stephen Colbert earlier this week. "Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings...Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!" The president later added this via Truth Social: "If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!" It's awful. Indefensible. Unacceptable. Un-American.

  And, thankfully, not tethered to reality.

  It's Trump being Trump, bloviating in ways that are inappropriate for any western world leader. And we've grown numb to it for two reasons:

  He's been doing this for nearly a decade... He doesn't act on these speech-controlling impulses

  In fact, the opposite is more often the case. The Trump administration just punished five European officials accused of trampling on free speech rights. Trump frenemy Elon Musk has spent billions on X, the social media platform that offers more free speech than some of its peers.

  More importantly, the Trump administration hasn't curtailed speech on social media platforms like his predecessor. There's no Twitter Files sequel that we know of where Trump officials leaned on X to suppress views.

  Those actions matter. They greatly outweigh his social media rants.

  That doesn't mean the latter don't exist, or that Trump's critics aren't feasting on them to buttress their flimsy arguments.

  Which brings us to Jimmy Kimmel.

  The far-Left propagandist went on British TV yesterday to decry the Trumpian rise of "fascism" in America. It's more misinformation from the fellow who misled viewers about the person accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and lied about Antifa's very existence.

  And it egregiously ignores the serial threats to free speech across both parts of Europe and in the UK. Case in point?

  UK politics teacher reported to terrorism investigators for showing students Trump videos: ‘Dystopian’ https://t.co/5APUo5f20i pic.twitter.com/KZzjENBuK6 — New York Post (@nypost) December 26, 2025

  Kimmel didn't mention that horrific story or hundreds more of Brits facing jail time for sharing the "wrong" social media posts.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wzK43Xyb4

  That's to his shame.

  Yet Kimmel is using Trump's wildly inappropriate posts to support his fraudulent case. Who wouldn't?

  That's President Trump's fault.

  The late-night narrative, supported by Kimmel and co. along with corrupt media outlets, is that President Trump got Colbert fired and Kimmel suspended.

  Both arguments are false. Yet both are supported by the hosts in question and extremely biased news outlets.

  Still.

  President Trump adds fuel to their nonexistent fire with his social media threats. Here's betting no one is happier to read them than Kimmel and Colbert.

  They know Trump doesn't mean it, but enough people may think he does. That's what matters, and it's why President Trump is doing himself more harm than any late-night monologue could.

  

• Donald Trump wants early Christmas present, demands CBS takes Stephen Colbert off air now, asks to put him to sleep - India Today Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Trump wants Stephen Colbert to be put to sleep: Humanitarian thing to do

  Site: India Today

  US President Donald Trump, who has a contentious history with late-night hosts, asked CBS for an early Christmas present by putting Stephen Colbert off the screens immediately.

  US President Donald Trump has asked for an early Christmas present. In a fresh tirade against Stephen Colbert, whose late night show faced the axe in July, the 79-year-old Republican urged CBS to "put him to sleep" immediately. Trump, who has a contentious history with late-night hosts, said "pathetic trainwreck" Colbert is functioning on "hatred and fumes" and the network would do a "humanitarian thing" by putting him off screens asap."Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, “put him to sleep,” NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do," the US President wrote on TruthSocial.              This was the first of several of what could be called rant posts, in which he took a shot at late-night hosts and their network operators over them being negative towards Republicans, MAGA and himself."If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES," Trump posted. The US President took a potshot at ABC and NBC as well for their "worst late-night hosts". "They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS," he wrote on the social media platform.              In July, CBS announced that it would be cancelling Stephen Colbert's The Late Show amid financial challenges in the industry. The announcement drew massive backlash, with critics and fans blaming political reasons behind the cancellation, especially as it had come weeks after Paramount Global – the parent firm of CBS – agreed to settle a multi-billion dollar lawsuit with Trump."This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," the company said at the time. "It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."Colbert is set to have his final show in May 2026.Besides Colbert, the Trump administration had pulled the plugs on Jimmy Kimmel's The Late Show in September over the latter's remarks surrounding the assassination of conservative figure and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. However, after days of fierce legal back-and-forth between Kimmel and ABC and huge backlash from fans, the show returned to the screens. Furthermore, Kimmel reportedly signed a new deal with Walt Disney – the parent company of ABC – to extend his late night show through 2027. His previous deal with Disney was believed to end in 2026.- EndsPublished By: sharangee Published On: Dec 25, 2025Tune In Must Watch

  

• pthorpe92.dev Added: Dec 28, 2025

  pthorpe92.dev

• Preston Thorpe on X: "Real nerds write _everything_ in markdown by default, regardless of whether it will be rendered, knowing that the target audience can be trusted to mentally render it while reading." / X Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Starmer under fire for welcoming Egyptian activist who called to 'kill all Zionists' | The Times of Israel Added: Dec 28, 2025

  UK's Starmer under fire for welcoming ex-prisoner who called to 'kill all Zionists' | The Times of Israel

  

• Top Trump aides have run out of patience with Netanyahu over Gaza ceasefire -- report | The Times of Israel Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Top Trump aides have run out of patience with Netanyahu over Gaza ceasefire -- report | The Times of Israel

  

• ‘Naked flying’ is the new travel trend taking over raw-dogging Added: Dec 28, 2025

  ‘Naked flying’ is the new travel trend taking over raw-dogging

  Site: LADbible

  Instead of 'raw-dogging' - abstaining from entertaining yourself on a flight - some travellers are opting to fly without anything, AKA 'naked flying'.

  

• The Five Mules Pulling the 21st Century - WSJ Added: Dec 28, 2025

• In the US, Netanyahu aims to convince Trump that only threat of war can bring peace | The Times of Israel Added: Dec 28, 2025

  In the US, Netanyahu aims to convince Trump that only threat of war can bring peace | The Times of Israel

  

• James Woods on X: "@elonmusk is an American hero. He spent 44 billion dollars to buy a forum for genuine free speech and true journalism. He may have single-handedly restored the American dream. He legally immigrated here, became an American citizen, and fought to America whole again. ." / X Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• What exactly makes Linux so bulletproof? Added: Dec 28, 2025

  What exactly makes Linux so bulletproof?

  Site: How-To Geek

  Taking bullets for all of us, to keep the world running.

  

• Quote of the day by Albert Einstein: 'It's not that I'm so smart, it's just...' Here's some life-changing quotes by German-born physicist - The Economic Times Added: Dec 28, 2025

  Quote of the day by Albert Einstein: 'It's not that I'm so smart, it's just...' Here's life-changing quotes by German-born physicist - The Economic Times

  Quote of the day by Albert Einstein focuses on patience and effort in thinking. Einstein said, “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.” This quote explains his approach to learning and discovery. It reflects how long focus helped him develop ideas that changed physics. The quote also connects to his early curiosity, education struggles, and scientific breakthroughs. Quote of the day by Albert Einstein remains relevant for students, researchers, and readers who face challenges and complex problems in daily life.Quote of the day todayQuote of the day by Albert Einstein states, “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.” The quote shows that success comes from effort and patience. Einstein did not credit talent alone. He valued time spent thinking. Quote of the day by Albert Einstein explains how long focus can solve difficult questions. This idea shaped his scientific journey and personal life.Also Read: Quote of the day by Oscar Wilde: 'No man is rich enough to buy back his past'. Here's some timeless quotes by Irish authorWhat Does Quote of the Day Mean?A quote of the day is a short message shared daily to offer guidance or reflection. It helps readers think about life, work, or learning. The quote is meant to inspire focus, encourage effort, and support positive thinking throughout the day.Also Read: Quote of the day by Mark Twain: 'The fear of death...'Albert Einstein early life Quote of the day by Albert Einstein connects to his childhood. Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. His parents were Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch. His family followed a secular Jewish life. He had one sister, Maria, called Maja. Quote of the day by Albert Einstein reflects his early curiosity, which began when he saw a compass at age five. Invisible forces confused and inspired him.Albert Einstein education struggles Quote of the day by Albert Einstein links to his school years. At age 12, he discovered geometry and studied it deeply. He later read science books that challenged religion. This changed his thinking. At the Luitpold Gymnasium, he struggled with strict teaching methods. One teacher told him he would fail. Quote of the day by Albert Einstein explains how persistence helped him continue learning despite rejection.Also Read: Quote of the day by Michael Jordan: 'Some people want it to happen, some wish it...'Albert Einstein scientific workQuote of the day by Albert Einstein connects to 1905. While working at the patent office, he published four papers. These explained the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and E = mc². Quote of the day by Albert Einstein shows how long focus on one question led to these ideas. His work challenged Newton’s laws and changed physics.Albert Einstein impact Quote of the day by Albert Einstein reflects his belief in effort over talent. Einstein later won the Nobel Prize in 1921. He is considered a major physicist of the 20th century. His quote continues to guide students and thinkers. Quote of the day by Albert Einstein remains a lesson in patience, learning, and problem solving.Why quote of the day matters?A quote of the day helps people pause and think. It offers a clear idea in a few words. Readers can apply the message to study, work, or personal goals. The quote supports reflection and steady thinking.Life-changing quotes by German-born physicist Albert Einstein “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”

  

• Martin Fowler on Preparing for AI's Nondeterministic Computing - The New Stack Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Martin Fowler on Preparing for AI's Nondeterministic Computing

  Site: The New Stack

  Just as mechanical engineers use tolerances to determine how safe a material is, so too will AI need to come with a set of acceptable guidelines.

  

• Northern Arizona TPUSA leader won't give in despite intimidation and harassment | Fox News Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Northern Arizona TPUSA leader won't give in despite intimidation and harassment | Fox News

  

• The Jewish billionaire who took over NASA, with a push from Musk Added: Dec 29, 2025

  The Jewish billionaire who took over NASA, with a push from Musk

  Site: ynetglobal

  Senate confirms billionaire Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator; a strong pick, but his ties to the SpaceX chief cut both ways

  For someone who loves to post and voice an opinion on virtually everything, Elon Musk has maintained complete Twitter silence on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation files. As it becomes increasingly clear that Donald Trump was a very close friend of one of the most reviled sex offenders ever, Musk’s silence has grown ever louder. It is especially deafening given that in early summer, during the brief period when it appeared he and Trump were on the brink of a breakup, Musk tweeted: “It’s time to drop the really big bomb: Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That’s the real reason they haven’t been made public.” Musk deleted that tweet a few days later and apologized for it. Not because it was false, which today is clearly not the case, but because he remembered that his path to becoming the world’s first trillionaire runs through securing more and more contracts with the U.S. government. That cannot happen if he is at odds with the president. Last week, Musk was handsomely rewarded for his months of silence when the Senate approved the appointment of billionaire Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator. Before his confirmation, Isaacman was the most significant private customer of Musk’s SpaceX. His road to the coveted post was marked by ups and downs, all tied to the fluctuations in Musk’s relationship with Trump. It is a story of a man who reached a senior government role through a culture so corrupted that it has become somewhat unfairly difficult to remember that, on his own merits, he is a perfectly worthy appointment. Part of several historic spaceflights Jared Isaacman is an American Jew born in New Jersey in 1983. At just 16, he dropped out of school to found digital payments company Shift4 Payments in his parents’ basement. The company grew significantly, with Isaacman serving as chairman and CEO. At the same time, he built an aviation career: jet pilot, air show pilot with extensive flight hours, and founder of Draken International, a private fighter jet company that trains air force pilots. He sold most of his stake in the company in 2019. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at $2 billion, ranking him around 1,600th among the world’s wealthiest in 2024. In 2021, Isaacman financed and personally led Inspiration4, the first all-civilian commercial spaceflight in history. The mission also raised more than $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Three years later, he led Polaris Dawn, during which the first-ever private spacewalk by a civilian crew was carried out. Both missions flew aboard SpaceX spacecraft, earning Isaacman a reputation as a bold risk-taker. Space is a genuine passion for Isaacman, who is also respected among experts. From that standpoint, he would have been considered a strong appointment even under a Democratic president. Trump announced his selection in December 2024, and the response was almost universally positive. Like nearly all Trump appointments, it carried risks of conflicts of interest, but it at least looked like out-of-the-box thinking: a professional who understands space in the 21st century, is connected to NASA and genuinely values what it represents nationally. The Senate vote on Isaacman’s confirmation was initially scheduled for early June and seemed a foregone conclusion, with several Democrats expected to support it. But in late May, just days before the vote and at the height of tensions between Trump and Musk, Trump withdrew the nomination. The White House cited disagreements over NASA’s direction. “It is vital that the next leader of NASA be fully aligned with the ‘America First’ agenda,” White House spokeswoman Liz Houston said. “A new nominee will be announced directly by President Trump soon.” No alternative candidate was announced, and Trump later explained that the real reason for canceling Isaacman’s nomination was exactly what everyone had suspected, not the official White House line. “Elon Musk asked that his close friend Isaacman get NASA,” Trump said. “At first I thought Isaacman was very good, but I was surprised to learn he was a Democrat who had never donated to Republicans. I also think it’s inappropriate for a very close friend of Elon, who was in the space business, to run NASA, when NASA is such a large part of Elon’s companies.” Trump, of course, is highly flexible in his views on conflicts of interest. In any case, Isaacman’s nomination was scrapped, Musk took the hint and went back to tweeting about transgender issues. Isaacman, for his part, understood that the cancellation was not really about him and spent the following months engineering a comeback. He even managed to meet Trump, who ultimately decided the appointment would benefit him both professionally and politically. In November, the president resubmitted the nomination to the Senate, describing Isaacman as “a successful business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut,” highlighting his hands-on experience in private spaceflight and his passion for space exploration. All of that had been true six months earlier as well. ‘This is simply corruption’ Isaacman’s appointment as NASA’s 15th administrator was approved by the Senate in a 67–30 vote, with several Democrats joining Republicans. The confirmation hearings, however, were not without landmines. Democratic senators repeatedly pressed him on his ties to SpaceX. Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts sharply criticized SpaceX for refusing to disclose how much Isaacman paid the company for his spaceflights. “This is highly suspicious. SpaceX could reap billions from having a NASA administrator friendly to it,” Markey said. “The American people need to know how financially intertwined Isaacman and Musk’s SpaceX really are. Sometimes, if it looks like corruption, sounds like corruption and smells like corruption, it’s simply corruption.” It is well known that Musk holds extensive government contracts, most of them tied to SpaceX and NASA. Their total value is estimated at about $15 billion, including a roughly $2.9 billion contract to develop a lunar landing vehicle. SpaceX also has several contracts with the Defense Department, and just last week the Pentagon announced an agreement with Musk’s xAI startup to integrate the controversial Grok chatbot into military systems. Financial disclosures show that Isaacman’s relationship with SpaceX is worth more than $50 million to the company. He himself reported capital gains of more than $5 million from an investment in SpaceX. At the hearing, Isaacman said: “I led two space missions with SpaceX because it’s the only organization that can send astronauts since NASA’s shuttles were retired. In that sense, my relationship with SpaceX is no different from NASA’s.” Another line of questioning concerned Trump’s decision to renominate him. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan noted that Isaacman had recently donated about $2 million to a Trump-aligned super PAC. Isaacman replied that he made the donation when he “briefly considered” a political career earlier this year. “I’ve been relatively apolitical, moderate with a rightward lean, so it’s not surprising that I support the Republican Party,” he said, despite having donated to Democrats in the past. The confirmation revived the fact that most of the space establishment, public and private alike, supported him from the outset. “With decades of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and pioneer of commercial space, Isaacman is ideally suited to lead NASA during this critical period in the agency’s history,” said Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Space Federation. A coalition of 36 former NASA astronauts said: “Most importantly, Jared has a genuine passion for space exploration and real admiration for NASA as an American institution. He will bring renewed energy to NASA.” NASA to continue commercializing One official who was less enthusiastic about the appointment was Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who had served as acting NASA administrator and worked hard to permanently bring the space agency under his department’s umbrella. That effort put him at odds with Musk after he accused SpaceX of missing deadlines and began courting its competitors. Publicly, of course, Duffy welcomed Isaacman’s appointment. Isaacman takes office at a critical moment for NASA. On the day he was sworn in, Trump signed an executive order directing the agency to return astronauts to the moon by 2028 and begin developing a permanent lunar base by 2030, ahead of China, while also laying the groundwork for future Mars exploration. “We are facing another space race,” Isaacman said after his swearing-in. “Within the next three years we will land American astronauts on the moon again, but this time with infrastructure that will remain.” He also pledged to emphasize nuclear power in space, which he said would be key to exploration beyond the moon, including future missions to Mars. The next phase of NASA’s return-to-the-moon program, known as Artemis, could launch as early as February. Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the moon to test the launch system and the Orion spacecraft. It will mark the farthest humans have traveled into space since the Apollo program ended in 1972. Artemis III, to follow, is expected to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole. NASA is also expected to continue its push toward commercialization. SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will play critical roles in the lunar return effort, and Isaacman said other private space companies will also take part. He is just 42, and while he would never say it out loud, even to himself, there is little doubt that Isaacman dreams that if all his plans succeed, one day he too will reach the moon.

  

• Gavin Newsom has strong year in California, but is he peaking too soon? Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Newsom has strong year in California, but is he peaking too soon?

  Site: The Hill

  California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved himself into front-runner status for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, emerging from a pack of contenders to clear leading status. It was a strong y…

  California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved himself into front-runner status for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, emerging from a pack of contenders to clear leading status. It was a strong year for Newsom, whose combative approach to taking on President Trump resonated with Democrats and won favorable headlines for his team. “The headline on Newsom is that this year, he became the default answer of who Democrats are thinking about for 2028,” Democratic strategist Joel Payne said. “He became the stand-in at a time when the party was looking for leadership and a good spokesperson." “Newsom has been the officeholder who has been in the best position to counter Trump,” he said. The question for Newsom and his operation going forward is whether he can keep the excitement level up and maintain front-runner status past the midterm elections, after which the presidential battle will really heat up. Despite his strong 2025, some Democrats have openly wondered if it’s possible Newsom is peaking too soon.  “He fits the mood of the country and the party now, but things change quickly,” one Democratic consultant said. “Politics is all about timing, and it may be too soon. We’re still at least a year away from that cycle starting.”  Newsom’s lead in the Real Clear Politics average of polls for the Democratic nomination is narrow. He gets 23.6 percent compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 21.4 percent in an average of polls taken between Aug. 25 and Dec. 19. Newsom’s lead is wider in one recent poll. An Atlas Intel poll this month, for example, had him getting 35 percent support compared with 16 percent for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is widely seen as a strong candidate from the left. Two other recent polls included in the Real Clear Politics average, however, show him with just a percentage point lead over Harris in the case of an Echelon Insights poll, and trailing the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee by 11 points in a Big Data Poll. Whether any of those polls mean anything is also a matter of debate. “It’s insane to anoint anyone a front-runner or look at polls this far out,” said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale, who opined that Newsom “had a great year.” “It’s a very open question to see if that success translates into Democratic primary voters thinking he can win the electoral college,” Vale added.  A CNN poll out this past week showed Newsom leading other would-be candidates on the Democratic side. But the same poll also said two-thirds of those surveyed said they didn’t have a specific candidate in mind for 2028. That’s a reminder that while the Beltway class is heavily focused on 2028, most of the country is not. Either way, Newsom has solidified his brand over the last year as the Trump battler-in-chief. Just last week, for example, Newsom took to social platform X to hit Trump on his newly installed White House hall of presidents, where he used plaques to hit former Democratic presidents including Joe Biden and Barack Obama.  “Inflation is up. Unemployment is up. Grocery prices are up. Electricity costs are up. And Donald Trump is spending his time doing this,” Newsom wrote in his post on X.  On a more substantive level, Newsom led the effort on behalf of California’s Proposition 50, the ballot measure that voters overwhelmingly approved in November to redraw the state’s congressional districts to give Democrats an edge. The effort was a direct response to a Trump-backed effort by Texas Republicans to help GOP House candidates in the Lone Star State. It was a national political fight given its implications on the 2026 battle for the House majority. If Democrats do win back control of the House, it will be a considerable curb on Trump’s power over the latter half of his term. “I think it was brilliant and it was needed,” Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko said of the Newsom-led redistricting fight in California. “He showed that he’s not only talking the talk but walking the walking." “He has shown Democrats how to fight like it’s 2028. Not 1998,” Parkhomenko added. “And the key is that he didn’t necessarily invent a new playbook. He took Trump’s and made it better.” A Democratic donor added that Newsom “helped carry the Democratic Party on his shoulders this year while most of the party was asleep.” Trump has also helped to keep Newsom in the heart of the news cycle, frequently taking aim at the Democrat while helping to burnish his brand as a fighter, Democrats say. Last month, in an interview with Fox News, Trump called Newsom a “horrible governor.” “I knew Gavin for four years,” Trump said at the time. “I get along great with him. But he’s gone radical left.” In the months ahead — particularly as he eyes 2028 — Democrats say Newsom will have to pivot from Trump-bashing to a purveyor of ideas, particularly on economic issues.  “He has tried a 1000-flowers-bloom approach and has done a little bit of everything and that’s OK for now, but he has to define what his path is going to be,” Payne said. “I imagine we will start to get a glimpse of what a post-gubernatorial Newsom sounds like in the coming months. The big question is what issue does he glom onto and make his hobby horse?” But so far, Democrats say, the nomination fight is his to lose.  “I think the only one who could f‑‑‑ it up for Gavin Newsom is Gavin Newsom,” Parkhomenko said.

  

• We analyzed 73,000 articles and found the UK media is divorcing 'climate change' from net zero Added: Dec 29, 2025

  We analyzed 73,000 articles and found the UK media is divorcing 'climate change' from net zero

  In October 2024, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared herself a "net zero skeptic," but "not a climate skeptic." Most recently she doubled down, announcing plans to scrap the 2030 ban on new petrol cars in a 900-word Sunday Telegraph article that did not mention climate change once.

  

• Batya Ungar-Sargon on X: "Like the Democrats, the Somali fraudsters accused people of racism for objecting to being stolen from. The entire woke vocabulary was developed as a smokescreen for the pillaging of the American working class by leftist elites getting rich off mass migration." / X Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• America's food dye ban challenged in West Virginia as judge halts provisions of law | Fox News Added: Dec 29, 2025

  America's food dye ban challenged in West Virginia as judge halts provisions of law | Fox News

  A district judge paused West Virginia's food dye ban, calling the law "unconstitutionally vague" in a setback for the Make America Healthy Again movement. Gov. Patrick Morrisey weighs in.

• Exclusive | DOJ Using False Claims Act to Target Companies on DEI - WSJ Added: Dec 29, 2025

• DNC, RNC pipe bomb suspect told FBI "something just snapped," DOJ alleges Added: Dec 29, 2025

  DNC, RNC pipe bomb suspect said something "snapped" after 2020 election, DOJ alleges

  Site: Axios

  He thought the election had been "tampered with," DOJ alleges in filing submitted by Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for D.C.

  

• 5 New Linux Distributions We Discovered in 2025 Added: Dec 29, 2025

  5 New Linux Distributions We Discovered in 2025

  Site: It's FOSS

  No, this is not a list of all the new distros that came up in 2025. We are listing the ones we covered throughout this year.

  

• How Rare is Our Interstellar Dating Partner of 2025, 3I/ATLAS? | by Avi Loeb | Dec, 2025 | Medium Added: Dec 29, 2025

  How Rare is Our Interstellar Dating Partner of 2025, 3I/ATLAS?

  Site: Medium

  As we summarize 2025 and approach a New Year, the time is ripe to recognize the most significant dating partner that humanity had in 2025…

  

• The eerie sound only some people can hear - YouTube Added: Dec 29, 2025

  The eerie sound only some people can hear

  Site: YouTube

  “The Hum” is a worldwide low-frequency sound heard by millions. It's eerie symptoms and origin still have no concrete explanation.Another @pbsstoried short ...

  

• Scientists capture a flash of light that lasted only ten seconds and turns out to have reached Earth after a journey of 13 billion years Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Scientists capture a flash of light that lasted only ten seconds and turns out to have reached Earth after a journey of 13 billion years

  Site: ECOticias.com

  JWST spots GRB 250314A: a distant supernova flares up in a deep-field patch of space

  

• She’s Written Bestsellers About Appalachian Struggles. She’s Running for Office. But Don’t Compare Her to JD Vance. - POLITICO Added: Dec 29, 2025

  She’s Written Bestsellers About Appalachian Struggles. She’s Running for Office. But Don’t Compare Her to JD Vance.

  Site: POLITICO

  “Dopesick” author Beth Macy’s unlikely bid for Congress.

  

• Mark Kretschmann on X: "Is AI discovering the "Source Code" of the universe? 🧬⚛️ New research from MIT reveals a breakthrough: wildly different AI models for molecules, proteins, and materials are all independently converging on the same internal representation of matter. This suggests we aren't just https://t.co/ZF54T4pKpx" / X Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel - YouTube Added: Dec 29, 2025

  President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel

  Site: YouTube

  Palm Beach, FL

  

• The Fall of JavaScript Added: Dec 29, 2025

  The Fall of JavaScript

  Site: Yegor Bugayenko

  JavaScript was an elegant prototype-based class-free language until TypeScript and ES6 classes ruined it.

  

• Yegor Bugayenko on X: "I don't like TypeScript and finally decided to summarize why. Here is a new blog post about JavaScript and its difficult life under the pressure of Microsoft and others: https://t.co/7zUepvV01T" / X Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Marjorie Taylor Greene says blasts 'sexualization' of women at Mar-a-Lago Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Greene says she didn’t like ‘MAGA Mar-a-Lago sexualization’

  Site: The Hill

  Outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told The New York Times in an interview released this week that she “never liked” the “sexualization” of women she said goes on at President Trump’s Mar…

  Outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told The New York Times in an interview released this week that she “never liked” the “sexualization” of women she said goes on at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.  “I never liked the MAGA Mar-a-Lago sexualization,” Greene said. “I believe how women in leadership present themselves sends a message to younger women.” “I have two daughters, and I’ve always been uncomfortable with how those women puff up their lips and enlarge their breasts,” she added. The Georgia Republican’s comments were part of wide-ranging conversations the outlet had with her over the past two years, during which she outlined her break from the president. Greene, first elected to Congress in 2020, is leaving her seat Jan. 5. Formerly one of Trump's strongest supporters, she has broken with him on multiple issues since he returned to office this year. She disagreed with his strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, backed a bill to phase out the H1-B visa program after Trump defended it, and called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide.” She also criticized GOP leadership for its inaction on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies during the government shutdown and pushed for the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite the president’s opposition to such a move.  Greene and Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.) were the lone House Republicans to sign a discharge petition bringing a bill on releasing the files to the floor. The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed Congress with near-unanimous support last month after Trump made a last-minute flip to endorse it, then signed it into law. After Trump revoked his support for Greene in November and said he would back a primary challenger in the Peach State’s 14th Congressional District, the 51-year-old announced her impending resignation. She said at the time that she did “not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms.” "Our side has been trained by Donald Trump to never apologize and to never admit when you’re wrong," Greene told the Times. "You just keep pummeling your enemies, no matter what. And as a Christian, I don’t believe in doing that."

  

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the defensive over Somali aid scheme | New York Post Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz desperately defends himself from Somali fraud allegations uncovered in damning viral video

  Site: New York Post

  Federal investigators say half of the $18 billion granted to Minnesota since 2018 could have been stolen by fraudulent schemes — amounting to up to $9 billion in theft.

  

• 'Never move around a flaming dessert': A scientist explains the chemistry of a Christmas pudding Added: Dec 29, 2025

  'Never move around a flaming dessert': A scientist explains the chemistry of a Christmas pudding

  Christmas means different things to different people. For me, it's an opportunity to eat celebratory foods that aren't available all year round.

  

• The Wonder of Tolkien on X: "This is one of the greatest lines by Tolkien. Filled with profound wisdom and reality: “Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that https://t.co/sjbR5nOXDT" / X Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• @jason on X: "In three years, the grinning swagger of the new socialists will be shattered as they deploy the worst playbook at the worst time: Facing massive deficits, they will double down on spending, reduce policing & drive out the top tax payers they’ll fall into a death spiral & beg https://t.co/Fz4Td96puf" / X Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Ink & Ivory: A Dark Academia Masterclass - AutoCrit Online Editing Added: Dec 29, 2025

  Ink & Ivory: A Dark Academia Masterclass

  Site: AutoCrit Online Editing

  A live writing course on dark academia! Learn to write complex characters, explore dark academia themes, and market your work to readers.

  

• An Indestructible New Alloy Is Defying the Limits of Metal Added: Dec 29, 2025

  An Indestructible New Alloy Is Defying the Limits of Metal

  Site: Popular Mechanics

  The material might just revolutionize modern manufacturing.